The present invention relates to a counterbalance device for a silkscreen printing frame, which device incorporates the additional feature of having a squeegee holding member affixed thereto, wherein said device is designed primarily for employment upon a manually operated silkscreen printing apparatus as distinquished from an automatic or semi-automatic silkscreen printing apparatus such as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,166,011 to LANDESMAN dated Jan. 19, 1965, wherein the latter types of silkscreen printing apparatus normally provide integral counterbalance means and mechanical means to support and manipulate the squeegee member thereof. Generally speaking, the type of silkscreen printing apparatus to which the present invention is adapted to be applied is exemplified by that as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 1,533,700 to DIBBLE et al dated Apr. 14, 1925.
One of the operational problems encountered in operating a manual silkscreen printing apparatus is that of having a convenient place to position and support an inked squeegee blade when the same is not in use during squeegee operations to spread ink upon the silkscreen. A traditional expedient has been to prop the squeegee against the rear silkscreen frame member which is directly or indirectly hinged to the printing bed of said appartus, which is that frame member farthest from the operator, while the operator uses one hand to raise the printing frame and support said frame in a pivotally elevated position and the other hand is used to remove a print from the bed of said appartus and reposition and register a blank piece of stock upon said bed to "pull" the next print. The frame is then pivotally lowered into printing position, and by use of the squeegee with either one or both hands, the operator distributes the ink within the limits of the frame upon the screen and pulls the next print. By way of such a repetitive cycle the print run is completed.
In employing the aforementioned expedient method for accommodating an inked squeegee when not in use during printing operations, it frequently happens that, as said printing frame is pivotally raised, and both of the operator's hands are otherwise occupied, the squeegee will also pivot about the rear frame member against which it is supported and either becomes deposited within the frame upon the inked screen, or, falls out of the screen upon the supporting work table or floor, neither of which conditions is acceptable and consequently causes otherwise unnecessary spoilage and waste, and increases the printing time by requiring clean-up before resuming printing operations.
One development known in the art which has facilitated the ease and convenience by which manual silkscreen printing operations may be carried out is that of using a counterbalance, which is normally affixed to the rear of the frame member and is operable to balance the frame when the same is in the pivotally raised position, thereby freeing one of the operator's hands for accomplishing other functions as previously described.
Although the present invention incorporates an adjustable counterbalance structure as a component assembly thereof, as will hereinafter be more specifically detailed and pointed out, said present invention further incorporates and provides features and new and useful advantages, applications, and improvements in the art of manually operated silkscreen printing not heretofore known.